Manchin only Democratic senator not to endorse LGBT bill

Updated
11:20 am CDT, Saturday, March 16, 2019

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is the only Democratic senator who did not co-sponsor an LGBT anti-discrimination bill.

The Register-Herald reports 44 Democratic U.S. senators and the two independent senators that caucus with them have signed onto Senate bill 788. The bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon would add LGBT protections to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Manchin did not sponsor a similar proposal in 2017. A spokeswoman for his office declined to comment to the newspaper.

West Virginia's other U.S. senator is Republican Shelley Moore Capito. She also did not co-sponsor the bill.

West Virginia ACLU Executive Director Joseph Cohen said he was "sorely disappointed" that neither of the state's U.S. Senators endorsed the proposal.